Cooled coffin structure

ABSTRACT

A COFFIN IS PROVIDED HAVING A HOLLOW SIDE WALL AND OPENING ALONG SAID SIDE WALL INSIDE OF SAID COFFIN CONNECTED TO AN AIR CIRCULATING UNIT ADAPTED TO INTRODUCE AIR INTO THE HOLLOW SIDE WALL AND CONTINUOUSLY RECIRCULATE THE AIR OVER AND AROUND A CORPSE DISPOSED IN THE COFFIN BY MEANS OF THE HOLLOW SIDE WALL AND THE SPACED OPENINGS TO DISSIPATE ODOR AND TO SLOW DECOMPOSITION OF THE CORPSE INSIDE THE COFFIN.

NOV. 9, 1971 PALMA 3,618,335

COOLED COFFIN STRUCTURE Filed May 21, 1970 IQ I6 20 a I l l l -l4g n/ Mb I INVENTOR JAMES R. PALMA.

SETTLE 6 OLTMAN.

ATT'YS United States Patent Oflice 3,618,336 Patented Nov. 9, 1971 3,618,336 COOLED COFFIN STRUCTURE James R. Palma, 1502 Curry Road, Schenectady, N.Y. 12306 Filed May 21, 1970, Ser. No. 39,267 Int. Cl. F25d 23/06 US. Cl. 62--451 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A coifin is provided having a hollow side wall and opening along said side wall inside of said cofiin connected to an air circulating unit adapted to introduce air into the hollow side wall and continuously recirculate the air over and around a corpse disposed in the cofiin by means of the hollow side wall and the spaced openings to dissipate odor and to slow decomposition of the corpse inside the cofiin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a coffin adapted to receive a corpse and more in particular to a coffin adapted to temporarily store the corpse over a limited period of time prior to burial.

Prior to burial the corpse of the deceased is usually prepared by funeral home personnel to be laid out in a coffin for a limited number of days prior to burial. In order to eliminate odor and to prevent decomposition of the corpse, the corpse is usually treated by an embalming method and thereafter placed in the coffin.

Occasionally, the corpse has to be stored in the funeral home for a longer period of time which requires special embalming methods to prevent odor and decomposition. These special embalming methods are costly and time consuming and are not always satisfactory for the purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a coffin for use in a funeral parlor for the storage of the corpse therein for a limited period of time. Means are provided to circulate air over and around the corpse and preferrably cooling the air to such a temperature to eliminate odor and to prevent decomposition of the corpse in the coffin.

The wall of the cofiin is hollow and passages are provided communicating with the interior of the hollow wall and the interior of the coffin containing the corpse, and means such as a blower or fan are provided outside of the coffin to continuously circulate air through the hollow wall of the coflin for exit and circulation through the passages communicating with the' hollow wall so that a continuous stream of preferably cool air flows over and around the corpse within the coffin.

The advantages and novel structure of the present invention will become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description in connection with the appended drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates, partly in schematic, a preferred structure of the coflin constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section through the coffin shown in FIG. 1 as seen along line 22 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section through the coflin wall as seen along line 33 in FIG. 1 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is another cross-section through another portion of the coffin wall as seen along line 44 in FIG. 1 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a coffin forming a hexagonal shaped structure composed of a bottom 12 from which extend side wall portions 14a, b, c, d, and e forming a continuous enclosure.

As particularly seen in the cross-sections of FIGS. 2 and 3 the side wall portions 14 are provided internally with a continuous cavity 16 which communicates with the interior of the coflin by means of a lower channel 18 extending circumferentially around adjacent the bottom portion 12 along the internal sides of the wall portions 14 and by a similar channel 20 adjacent the top surface of wall portions 14 extending likewise circumferentially along the internal sides of the wall portions 14.

With reference to FIG. 4, in certain of the wall portions, and in this instance wall portions and 14d, a separate return channel 22 is provided internally thereof which is in communication with the wall cavity 16 by means of a conduit 24.

As schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, the cavity 16 in the wall 14 is in direct communication with a source of air flow such as a blower or a fan 26 to continuously blow a stream of fresh air into the cavity 16. The stream of air flows through the entire cavity 16 circumferentially around the wall sections 14 and exits through the upper channel 20 into the interior of the coffin to flow around a corpse (not shown) normally disposed within the cofiin and then through the bottom channel 18 back into the wall cavity 16. A portion of the air is recirculated through the top channel 20 again into the interior of the cofiin 10 and another portion of the air moves through the conduit 24 into the return channel 22 and from there is sucked out by the blower 26. It is understood that the blower 26 continuously replenishes the air in the cavity 16 of the Wall 14 and removes old air from the cofiin 10 through the return channel 22.

As particularly seen in FIG. 4, the interior of the wall 14 adjacent and alongside the return duct or channel 22, may 'be provided with cooling means alongside the return channel such as a refrigeration coil 28 which, as will be understood, is suitably connected to a refrigeration plant (not shown) of conventional design. Thus, by operation of the blower 26 cooled air is sucked from the return duct or channel 22 and pumped by the blower or fan back into the wall cavity 16 for circulation of cooled or refrigerated air over a corpse normally disposed within the coflin 10.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a novel cofiin structure for use in a funeral home having means to continuously circulate air, and preferably cool air, over a corpse disposed in the coffin to eliminate odor and to slow or prevent decomposition of the corpse.

Although the present invention hasbeen described with respect to only one exemplary embodiment, it will be obvious that various modifications in the arrangement may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention and all such modifications are contemplated to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cofiin for use in a funeral parlor adapted to receive and retain a corpse over a limited period of time, said coffin comprising an enclosure having a bottom and a circumferentially continuous side wall extending therefrom upwardly, said side wall having a hollow interior around its entire circumference, said hollow interior of said side wall being in communication with the interior of said cofiin adjacent the bottom and adjacent the top of said side wall by means of spaced openings, a source of air flow including blower means outside of said cofiin and connected by external conduits with the top of the interior of said cofiin through the top of said hollow interior in said side Wall, said blower means being operable to continuously circulate a stream of air downwardly through the interior of said cofiin and over and around a corpse disposed in said cofiin by means of said top and bottom openings, and a return duct provided in said side wall along a portion thereof and in communication through a restricted flow opening with said hollow interior of said side wall and said blower to return a portion only of said circulating air to said blower means.

2. A coffin as defined in claim 1, with said return duct including cooling means to continuously cool said air being returned to said blower means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner P. D. FERGUSON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

